WIREDGOV

Today Ofsted has published the outcome letter for the recent focused inspection of academy schools in Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT). 

Her Majesty’s Inspectors carried out a series of inspections of academies within the Trust because of wider concerns about schools’ performance within the chain. Of the 39 schools in the Trust, less than half are good. There are no longer any outstanding academies in the chain.

Ofsted inspected six primary academies in TKAT, over a two-week period, where inspectors judged the effectiveness of each school and also gathered information on the quality and impact of support provided by the Trust to headteachers and governors. In addition inspectors conducted telephone interviews with the headteachers at 12 further schools.

The outcomes from the inspections of the six academies were:

• one was judged inadequate and placed in ‘special measures’
• three were judged to require improvement
• two were judged to be good.

This means that an overwhelming proportion of pupils attending one of the academies inspected are not receiving a good education.

The inspections highlighted key weaknesses across many of the six academies inspected, including:

• teaching that was not good enough to enable all groups of pupils to make enough progress
• insufficient challenge for more-able pupils and expectations that are not high enough
• weaknesses in pupils’ writing and mathematical skills
• ineffective marking and feedback to pupils which does not help them to understand how to improve their work
• a lack of urgency in taking effective action to close the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others
• governance that has not secured effective leadership, displays a lack of urgency to bring about improvements and does not provide sufficient challenge in holding school leaders to account.

Although inspectors found that support for academies was becoming more effective, in too many schools, the improvements in support have come about too late to make a significant difference.

However, recent improvements as a result of restructuring the leadership have meant the Trust is in a stronger position to support academies.

Notes to Editors:

1. The outcome letter is available on the Ofsted website. This includes an annex naming all of the academies inspected and the individual judgements where these have been published.
2. All the academies selected for inspection fortnight were due to be inspected during the current academic year. As with all standard s5 inspections, an individual inspection report will be published for each school.
3. TKAT currently manages 14 Secondary Academies and 25 Primary Academies.
4. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.
5. Media can contact the Ofsted Press Office through 03000 130 415 or via Ofsted’s enquiry line 0300 123 1231 between 8.30am – 6.00pm Monday – Friday. Out of these hours, during evenings and weekends, the duty press officer can be reached on 07919 057 359.

Associated resources

• Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT) inspection outcome letter